1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to studs and to partitions, and particularly, to studs and to partitions utilizing such studs which reduce the transmission of sound from one space to an adjacent space separated from the first by the partition wall.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, a variety of stud designs and partition constructions have been devised and utilized to reduce sound transmission through walls and partitions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,164 issued May 21, 1963 to Nelsson, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention discloses a resilient runner for attachment to studs in a wall or partition for use in supporting panels on the wall or partition in a manner permitting them to vibrate and resonate substantially independently of the opposite side of the wall, thereby lessening sound transmission through the wall. Another system utilized is the so-called "staggered-stud system" in which the vertical support members or studs are alternately "staggered" or offset laterally along the plate which is of greater width than the studs so that every other support member is coplanar with the panel on one side of the wall while adjacent support members are out of contact with that panel but are in contact with the panel on the opposite side of the wall. This also helps in rendering each side of the wall acoustically independent of the other. While being very effective acoustically, both of these systems and other systems like them involve extra elements, such as the resilient runner, or extra material and labor costs, such as the costs for additional studs (twice as many) and labor to assemble them in a partition constructed utilizing the staggered stud system to get the same support panel spacing between studs or each side of the wall or partition.
In that most walls and partitions used in residential construction incorporate a frame of 2 .times. 4 wooden support members such as plates and studs, it would be of greater advantage to find a solution to the problem of preventing sound transmission which uses such members. Several notable attempts have been made in improving the sound transmission resistance of a wall by modifying, in one way or another, the form of the wooden support members used in its construction. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,201, issued on Jan. 26, 1960 to Baker, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a partition frame in which the studs are slotted along the portion of their length intermediate their end portions so that the wall panel secured to one side of the stud is acoustically insulated to a high degree from the wall panel secured to the opposite side of the stud. Indeed, a partition so constructed using this stud does exhibit remarkable sound transmission resistance. U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,363, issued on Dec. 9, 1969 to Bescher, discloses a very similar form of such stud in which the ends of two separate elements forming the stud are connected to one another by a separate member such as a bolt or pin, rather than by being left uncut or connected integrally as in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,201. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,235, issued on Dec. 1, 1964 to Young et al., although not directed to stud designs per se, discloses several modifications of the stud of U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,201, in which a plurality of slots are formed, some slots overlapping the others. Obviously, the formation of so many slots along the length of the stud weakens the stud somewhat. In addition, the formation of a great number of separate but parallel slots along the length of the stud increases the cost and manufacturing time of the stud.
In light of the above-mentioned prior art, it was completely unexpected and surprising to discover a stud construction and partition which could be constructed by modifying ordinary 2 .times. 4 wooden support elements of the traditional type, and yet which would exhibit substantially improved sound transmission resistance compared with the studs and partition constructions mentioned above and particularly those disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,201. The present invention can be achieved by either factory or on-site modification of the 2 .times. 4 wooden construction members and would involve about the same cost of manufacture as the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,201.
Accordingly, it is a principal object and advantage of the present invention to reduce the sound transmission through a wall or partition.
It is an additional object and advantage of the present invention to enable a wall or partition to be constructed using a modified form of 2 .times. 4 wooden members and which will acoustically insulate one space from another without any substantial increase in cost.